Gleeson appointed as nation’s top legal adviser

New South Wales silk Justin Gleeson, SC, has been appointed Commonwealth Solicitor-General.

Mr Gleeson will serve in the role for five years, which became available when
Stephen Gageler
, SC, was appointed to the High Court in October last year. The announcement formalises the position that Mr Gleeson has held on an acting basis for the last four months.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said Mr Gleeson was a respected NSW barrister and “his expertise as an advocate in complex matters involving Australian private and public law and constitutional law will serve him well in his role".

Mr Gleeson is Australia’s 10th solicitor-general and his term begins immediately.

In that role, he will be the chief legal adviser to government; for Mr Gageler that involved advising on the government’s so-called Malaysia solution for offshore processing and laws to mandate plain packaging for cigarettes.

Mr Gleeson became a senior counsel in 2000 and is a graduate of the University of Sydney and Oxford. Since he joined the bar in 1989 he has developed an expertise in administrative and constitutional law, along with a broader practice in commercial and equity advice.